Republicans raise their hands against science

At the Republican debate, three Senators running for President, Brownback, Huckabee, and Tancredo, raised their hands to signify they don't believe in evolution.

Next, they raise their hands to show they don't believe in gravity. Can they still keep their hands up?

Hmmmmm... why not?

They say evolution is "only a theory." However, in science, a theory is more than a "hunch." A theory is a substantiated hypothesis.

A theory is a logically self-consistent model or framework for describing the behavior of a related set of natural or social phenomena. It originates from and/or is supported by experimental evidence (see scientific method). In this sense, a theory is a systematic and formalized expression of all previous observations that is predictive, logical and testable. In principle, scientific theories are always tentative, and subject to corrections or inclusion in a yet wider theory. Commonly, a large number of more specific hypotheses may be logically bound together by just one or two theories. As a general rule for use of the term, theories tend to deal with much broader sets of universals than do hypotheses, which ordinarily deal with much more specific sets of phenomena or specific applications of a theory.

How do these men demand - and get - respect for espousing a belief that is completely unsupported by evidence? Even more, how about for a belief that requires ignoring and denying evidence?

A hysterical commentary on the race to ignorance is here.

"Evolution is a hoax," began Brownback. "It is hubris of the highest degree for scientists to think they know more than God."

"You're right," continued Huckabee, "But let me add that I believe gravity and electricity are also demonic ideas intended to blind humans to the glory of the Almighty."

Tancredo added his voice. "So true, gentlemen. We have lost our way, and I for one, yearn for that bygone era when religion was respected and permeated every aspect of society. I'm not talking about the 1950s. I'm talking about the 1050s. The Middle Ages, when the natural order of society was in balance."